Ombudsman

The legislature appoints the ombudsman, but it may

Iasi

Judet (county), northeastern Romania, occupying an area of 2,112 square miles (5,469 square km), and bounded on the east by Moldova. The southward-flowing Prut River marks the county's eastern border with Moldova, and the Siret River drains the hilly terrain of the county to the south. Iasi county was a part of feudal Moldavia. Iasi city is the county capital and has chemical, textile, and

Seton, Ernest Thompson

Seton was raised in North America, his family having emigrated to Canada in 1866. Drawn to nature, Seton resisted his family's attempt to make an artist of him. He gained experience as a naturalist by trailing and

Black Bass

Any of about six species of elongated freshwater fishes that constitute the genus Micropterus of the sunfish family, Centrarchidae (order Perciformes). Black basses are found in eastern North America. Two of them, the largemouth (see photograph) and smallmouth black basses (M. salmoides and M. dolomieui), have been introduced in other countries

Fischer, Hans

After receiving his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Marburg (1904) and his M.D. from the University of Munich (1908), Fischer worked as a physician

Jovellanos, Gaspar Melchor De

After studying law, Jovellanos was appointed to judicial posts at Sevilla (1767) and Madrid (1778). He gained fame for his literary and scholarly activities and for his personal integrity, but from 1790 to 1797, after unsuccessfully intervening

Sundbyberg

Town, Stockholm l�n (county), east-central Sweden. Sundbyberg lies on the northwestern outskirts of Stockholm. When founded in 1877, it was one of Stockholm's first residential suburbs. It was chartered in 1927 and has become an important industrial centre. The church (1909 - 11) is noted for its stained glass. Other imposing buildings are the large Marabou chocolate factory and the multistory

Actinium

(Ac), radioactive chemical element, in Group IIIb of the periodic table, atomic number 89. Actinium was discovered (1899) by Andr�-Louis Debierne in pitchblende residues left after Pierre and Marie Curie had extracted radium and was also discovered (1902) independently by Friedrich Otto Giesel. A ton of pitchblende ore contains about 0.15 mg of actinium. The rare, silvery-white metal

Acrocephalosyndactyly

Also called �Apert's Syndrome� congenital malformation of the skeleton, affecting the skull, hands, and feet, first described by the French pediatrician Eug�ne Apert. The head is shortened front-to-back and appears pointed (acrocephaly) because of premature closing of the cranial sutures between the individual bones that make up the skull. The bones and skin of the hands and feet are fused (syndactyly),

Turkey, Flag Of

Various myths are associated with the symbolism of the red colour and the star and crescent, but none really explains their origins. Although the star and crescent are often seen as typical Muslim symbols, in fact they have a history long predating the rise of Islam. Ancient civilizations throughout the Middle East used a crescent moon as a religious symbol, and the

Scandinavian Literature, Poetic Realism

About 1830, early Romanticism gave way to a less naive poetic realism, more contemplative and more concerned with form than with content. Johan Ludvig Heiberg, who led this movement, attempted to revivify Danish drama by importing French vaudeville, and in his serious romantic plays Elverh�j (1828; �The Elfinhill�) and Syvsoverdag (1840; �Day of the Seven Sleepers�) he juxtaposed poetic

Saratov

Most of the right(west)-bank area is occupied by the Volga Upland, which is greatly dissected by river valleys and erosion gullies; the left (east) bank is a low, rolling plain

Arabia, The Rub' al-Khali

The largest uninterrupted sand desert in the world, the Rub' al-Khali covers an area estimated at about 250,000 square miles. The name Rub' al-Khali is not commonly used by the few nomadic Bedouin who live there; they call it simply Ar-Ramlah (�The Sand�). Shrub vegetation is widely spaced over the porous, sandy surfaces and is almost nonexistent on the occasional rock and salt surfaces.

Ear Disease, Secretory otitis media

In secretory otitis media the middle-ear cavity becomes filled with a clear, pale yellowish, noninfected fluid. The disorder is the result of inadequate ventilation of the middle ear through the eustachian tube. The air in the middle ear, when it is no longer replenished through this tube, is gradually absorbed by the mucous membrane, and fluid takes its place. Eventually,

Kamakura

City, Kanagawa Prefecture (ken), Honshu, Japan, on the Pacific Ocean, south of Yokohama. Situated at the western base of the Miura Peninsula, it is enclosed on three sides by hills and has fine sandy beaches to the south. Kamakura was a small fishing village until it was established as a capital of the Minamoto clan in 1180. It then retained its political status as the second capital

Bah�a Blanca

Explorers in the 18th century named the area Bah�a Blanca (�White Bay�), but the settlement that grew up around a military outpost,

Traherne, Thomas

The son of a shoemaker, Traherne was educated at the University of Oxford, ordained in 1660, and presented in 1661 to the living of Credenhill, which he held until 1674. From 1669 to 1674 Traherne lived in London and Teddington, serving as chaplain to Sir Orlando

Dubois, Eug�ne

Appointed lecturer in anatomy at the University of Amsterdam (1886), Dubois investigated the comparative anatomy of the larynx in vertebrates but became increasingly interested in human evolution. In 1887 he went to the East Indies

Biblical Literature, The Wycliffite versions

By the middle of the 13th century the English component in the Anglo-Norman amalgam had begun to assert itself and the close of the century witnessed a Northumbrian version of the Psalter made directly from Latin, which, because it survived in several manuscripts, must have achieved relatively wide circulation. By the next century, English had gradually superseded

S�rensen, Villy

S�rensen's first collection of short stories, Saere historier (Tiger in the Kitchen and Other Strange Stories), appeared in 1953; it was followed in 1955 by Ufarlige historier (�Harmless Stories�) and in 1964 by the important

Adams, Charles Francis

The son of Pres. John Quincy Adams and the grandson of Pres. John Adams, Charles was early introduced to a cosmopolitan way of life when his father was appointed minister to Russia

Andrew Of Crete, Saint

From his monastery in Jerusalem he was sent to Constantinople (modern Istanbul), where he became deacon of the Hagia Sophia. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Philippicus Bardanes he was made archbishop of Gortyna and took part

Xavier, Saint Francis

Spanish �San Francisco Javier, or Xavier � the greatest Roman Catholic missionary of modern times, who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan. In Paris in 1534 he pronounced vows as one of the first seven members of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits

China, The Tarim Basin

North of the Plateau of Tibet and at the much lower level of about 3,000 feet lies the Tarim Basin. It is hemmed in by great mountain ranges: the Tien Shan (�Celestial Mountains�) on the north, the Pamirs on the west, and the Kunlun Mountains on the south. From these heights glacier-fed streams descend, only to lose themselves in the loose sands and gravels of the Takla Makan

Kaahumanu

Kaahumanu was of distinguished parentage, her mother having been married to the late king of Maui. Early in life she was betrothed to Kamehameha I, whom her father had served as counselor. They married and had a stormy but enduring relationship. She supported

Fran�aix, Jean

The son of the director of the Le Mans Conservatory, Fran�aix began to compose very early, publishing a piano composition at age nine. He later studied at the Paris Conservatory and became a pupil

Islam

The third pillar is the obligatory tax called zakat (�purification,� indicating that such a payment makes the rest of one's wealth religiously and legally pure). This is the only permanent tax levied by the Qur'an and is payable annually on food grains, cattle, and cash after one year's possession. The amount varies for different categories. Thus, on grains and fruits it is 10 percent

Botany

The branch of biology that deals with plants. It involves the study of the structure, properties, and biochemical processes of all forms of plant life, including trees. Also included within its scope are plant classification and the study of plant diseases and of the interactions of plants with their physical environment. Over the years various specialized branches

Cooper, Cynthia

Cooper was raised